This standard text in the field of pastoral care and counseling has been updated to include changes that have occurred in the field, including crisis intervention, the emergence of lay caring groups, the feminist movement, and numerous others.

First responders make the difference between life and death for trauma victims. But what is often not recognized is that when disaster strikes, spiritual caregivers are often among those first on the scene. For these caregivers response should also help propel survivors toward positive transformation.